diff --git a/board/emulation/qemu-riscv/Kconfig b/board/emulation/qemu-riscv/Kconfig
index af23363fcf7..5ae56da7645 100644
--- a/board/emulation/qemu-riscv/Kconfig
+++ b/board/emulation/qemu-riscv/Kconfig
@@ -18,5 +18,8 @@ config SYS_TEXT_BASE
 config BOARD_SPECIFIC_OPTIONS # dummy
 	def_bool y
 	imply SYS_NS16550
+	imply VIRTIO_MMIO
+	imply VIRTIO_NET
+	imply VIRTIO_BLK
 
 endif
diff --git a/board/emulation/qemu-riscv/qemu-riscv.c b/board/emulation/qemu-riscv/qemu-riscv.c
index 041e716c9bf..2730a288fb1 100644
--- a/board/emulation/qemu-riscv/qemu-riscv.c
+++ b/board/emulation/qemu-riscv/qemu-riscv.c
@@ -4,12 +4,21 @@
  */
 
 #include <common.h>
+#include <dm.h>
 #include <fdtdec.h>
+#include <virtio_types.h>
+#include <virtio.h>
 
 #define MROM_FDT_ADDR	0x1020
 
 int board_init(void)
 {
+	/*
+	 * Make sure virtio bus is enumerated so that peripherals
+	 * on the virtio bus can be discovered by their drivers
+	 */
+	virtio_init();
+
 	return 0;
 }